Pray as Jesus Taught the Apostles
This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
Matthew 6:9-13
This is the model prayer Jesus taught the apostles. We will divide the prayer into its five parts and discuss each part.
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name
All prayer is for the glory of God and every prayer should start with praising and thanking God. This part of the prayer helps us recognize who God is and fills our hearts with peace when we glorify his name. Let us praise God for his glorious grace, for the free gift he gave us in his dear Son! (Ephesians 1:6). We praise and thank the Lord because it fills our hearts with peace and faith, and it brings us closer to God. Many times my prayer is just meditating on God in praise and thankfulness.
Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven
This verse tells us that his will shall be done on earth and Christians are the ones who carry his will to the world as he guides us by the indwelling Holy Spirit. This is the most important thing we do on earth because it is our calling from God. We are all different and the Lord will guide us to his will based on the talents he has given each of us. If you love me, keep my commands (John 14:15). We are to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, and this love changes our hearts to eagerly obey the Lord’s good, pleasing, and perfect will.
Give us today our daily bread.
This is a prayer for our earthly needs, that God will enable us to provide for our families. Remember that everything we have comes from God and we are to use everything for his glory with a thankful heart. Thank God for all blessings, even those things we take for granted. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well (Matthew 6:33). The Lord promises to provide for our earthly needs, if we put him first in our lives.
And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
We are to seek forgiveness with Godly sorrow for the sins we commit and we are to forgive those who sin against us. For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins (Matthew 6:14-15). This verse implies that the more forgiving we are toward those who sin against us, the more God will forgive our sins. Remember that all sin is against God and the center of his love is forgiveness.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
We are to be guided by the Spirit to avoid temptation whenever possible and deliver us from yielding to the temptation by the evil one. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust (James 1:13-14). Pray to capture every thought to the obedience of Christ to overcome the sinful temptation. Pray to overcome any sin in your life, that the Lord will guide you with his power to overcome the temptation.
Today pray according to the model prayer by Jesus and expand each of these five areas as prompted by the Spirit. God will always answer according to his divine will and time in response to meaningful, glorifying prayer.
Let’s Pray: Lord, guide me to pray so all my prayers bring glory to you. Guide my words by the Holy Spirit that my prayers are pleasing to you. In Jesus name, Amen.